Persecution stories from Persecution.net (The Voice of the Martyrs)
Indoniesia: Children Injured in Mob Violence
On July 27th, a violent incident occurred in Padang City, Indonesia, when several men attacked a prayer house, which was established to provide religious education to Christian children. Armed with sticks, the assailants ordered the believers to disperse, and then they proceeded to smash the building’s windows. During the attack, two children (ages eight and eleven) sustained injuries after being struck by objects that had been thrown amid the violence.
After the Christians had exited the premises, the men began wrecking the contents inside. The destroyed items included furniture and electronics. Authorities have arrested nine suspects in connection with the raid. The city’s mayor has since claimed that the incident was merely a “misunderstanding,” stating that the assailants mistakenly believed the facility was a church building. This event follows a similar attack that took place in the city of Sukabumi one month earlier, when a large mob targeted a retreat centre for Christian students. The attackers alleged that a private residence was being unlawfully used as a worship site. Following the incident, in which significant damages were made to the retreat house and nearby vehicles, eight individuals were arrested.
Vietnam: Worship Gathering Disrupted
While a Catholic priest was meeting with approximately 20 worshippers in a private residence on August 11th, local police abruptly cut off the power supply of the building and proceeded to raid the gathering, demanding an immediate cessation of the service. This incident occurred in Binh Khang – a village located in Vietnam’s northeastern province of Thái Nguyên – at approximately 8:30 p.m. Authorities arrested three individuals during the incident: the homeowner, the mentioned leader of the local Catholic community, and another church member. Multiple worshippers, including the priest, posted video footage of the police raid on social media.
Although no official reason was given for the arrests, one local official can be heard on video questioning the attendees about their hometowns. In Vietnam, religious activity permits are frequently denied if applicants are not from the immediate area. However, in this case, it is believed that all those present at the worship gathering were local parishioners.
China: Pastor Arrested for “Illegal Business Operations”
Pastor Huang Yizi, a prominent church leader in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, was informed on July 30th that he had been formally charged with “illegal business practices” relating to the distribution of sermon recordings. The Christian leader and several other church members were initially taken into custody on June 26th. At the time, the reason for their arrests was unclear. (A previously published report about the arrests is available here.) However, following the recent announcement of formal charges, further information has now come to light.
In China, only government-registered churches are allowed to operate websites; and even then, all content is subject to scrutiny. Unregistered house churches encounter additional restrictions, particularly when it comes to evangelistic tools like sermon recordings. Furthermore, the government-regulated social media platform WeChat rarely allows Christian content to be shared within the country.
In the face of these challenges, some Christians have developed audio players preloaded with hymns and sermon recordings, making it easier for believers to access Biblical content. These devices are especially popular among Christians with visual impairments, as well as those who cannot attend church services. Pastor Huang and other members of his church have been charged with selling these audio players without a business permit. Yet, the church maintains that the distribution was part of their ministry outreach and not intended for profit.
At last report, Pastor Huang remains in detention, along with three of the other arrested church members. Two Christian women, Ding Liqing and Shao Haiyan, had previously been taken into custody but were granted bail on July 26th. According to Pastor Huang’s wife, Lin Aili, the women appeared noticeably thinner but showed joy on their faces, testifying to God’s presence with them throughout the ordeal.
Ethiopia: Church Attack Forces Pastor and Wife into Hiding
The Voice of the Martyrs Canada has partnered with Steadfast Global to provide small loans to pastors and other Christian workers so they can establish sustainable businesses in support of their ministries. Among the recipients of this project is Pastor Paul, along with his wife Mary. (Their given names were changed for the purpose of this report due to security concerns.) This couple has been faithfully ministering within a Muslim-majority community in southern Ethiopia. As part of their ministry outreach, Pastor Paul and Mary leased space in a compound where they set up a shelter composed of poles and zinc sheets so they could hold worship services with local converts.
On July 29th, a mob suddenly stormed into the compound, forcibly dismantling the shelter before stealing its structural materials. Although police were present at the time of the attack, they did nothing to intervene. Instead, the authorities arrested Pastor Paul and physically assaulted him while in custody. The church leader was later released without charge. Thankfully, Mary was unharmed during the incident.
The Christian man who had leased the space to Pastor Paul was detained by police following the raid. Soon after the landowner’s release, he terminated his rental agreement with the church. For their safety, Pastor Paul and Mary have gone into hiding as they recover from the attack and discern their next steps.
Prior to this incident, the pastor was asked if he had any concerns for his own safety, considering the history of violence against Christians in the area. His response was unwavering: “We are not afraid. We will live for Christ, and we will die for Christ.”
India: Pastors Arrested and Assaulted
On July 20th, six pastors were arrested after a mob disrupted a church service in Bhilai, a city located within the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. The assailants chanted Hindu slogans and accused the pastors of engaging in forcible conversions. As the mob grew increasingly vocal, shouting obscenities and threatening violence, Pastor Baksh locked the church doors to protect his congregation members.
When police officials eventually arrived, they demanded that the church members open the doors. However, rather than addressing the mob, the authorities detained nearly 40 Christians, transporting them by bus to the local police station. While there, officers pressured Pastor Moses Logan to provide the names of five Christians, with the intent of pressing charges against them. The pastor refused, insisting that any charges should be directed at those who verbally threatened to attack the church. Despite his protest, Pastor Moses and five other church leaders were charged and transferred to a jail in the nearby city of Durg. While most of the other detained Christians were released, several women also received charges of “forced conversions.”
During their imprisonment, all six church leaders were interrogated by prison guards. When the jailer discovered that the detained men were pastors, he ordered them to be beaten. Pastor Moses, who was ill at the time, was spared the physical violence. However, the other believers suffered brutal beatings with wooden batons, resulting in deep lacerations. Thanks to the efforts of local Christians, who were able to raise enough money for bail, the six pastors were released on July 21st. However, the charges against them remain.
In light of this attack, an unnamed ministry partner in India shared: “North Indian pastors and [ministry] workers live in fear. The right to practise your faith is under assault now.” He urges followers of Jesus around the world to pray for the church in India, as militant Hindu groups continue to target Christians.
Persecution stories edited by Al McNair
Colombia.
The bodies of seven Evangelical Christians and a relative to one of the victims were found on July 1 in a mass, shallow grave in Guaviare, Colombia. In April, the Frente Armando Ríos (FARC), an illegal armed group that has been known to restrict freedom of religion or belief, summoned the eight victims to interrogate them about a rival armed group. The eight people were reported missing shortly after the interrogation. They were members of the Evangelical Alliance of Colombia Denomination (DEAC) and the Foursquare Gospel Church (ICCG) and were providing humanitarian aid in the area. The victims had previously fled from Arauca to escape religious persecution. Colombian President Gustavo Petro stood in solidarity with the victims’ families and said that there will be justice. Investigations are still ongoing.
There is also a trend of missing Christian leaders in Colombia. Armed groups target pastors and priests because of the influence they have against the guerrillas and paramilitary fighters and the drug cartels.
India.
Within six months, the government of Maharashtra State in India is planning to investigate and demolish hundreds of churches that it claims are unauthorized structures, most of which are in tribal regions. The state is also planning to enact a stringent anti-conversion law to curb religious conversions carried out through inducement or coercion.
In Maharashtra, the issue of “coerced” conversions to Christianity was brought to the forefront by Anup Agrawal, a legislator who highlighted the proliferation of alleged unauthorized church constructions in the tribal dominated Dhule and Nandurbar districts, where conversions are reportedly being facilitated through allurements. Joining Agrawal were other legislators who alleged that tribals were being converted to Christianity through illegal churches built using foreign funding for the promotion of the religion.
Please Pray that God would protect all the churches in the state of Maharashtra, and that NONE would be demolished. Pray for wisdom and guidance for all church leaders in that state, in the face of this threatened attack.
The Pope. (good news).
In a world where violence and repression continue to threaten religious minorities, the voice of one spiritual leader has begun to cut through the noise with uncommon clarity and moral authority.
Pope Leo XIV, the recently elected head of the Roman Catholic Church, has emerged as a bold and compassionate advocate for persecuted Christians around the world. His early papacy is already marked by impassioned pleas, concrete diplomatic outreach, and a vision of peace rooted in justice and protection for the vulnerable. In one of his first major addresses, the pope specifically acknowledged the violence and discrimination that Christians face in the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Asia, offering both solidarity and a firm call for international action. He highlighted the grave and growing threats that many Christians face in their homelands, where bombings, forced conversions, and exile have become part of daily life.
Pope Leo is not stopping at prayer and statements. He has pledged to make every effort diplomatically and spiritually to build peace in regions plagued by anti-Christian violence. This includes meetings with international leaders and ambassadors, urging governments to use their influence to protect vulnerable religious minorities. His message to the international community is unequivocal: silence and inaction are forms of complicity.
In the words of the pope himself, “We are not helpless before injustice. The cross does not signal defeat, but triumph through love. Let our love be fierce, active, and unwavering.”
Let us give thanks that somebody with such a high profile as the Pope is taking a stand on the issue of persecution, and that this would encourage other international leaders to do likewise. Pray that all of this would indeed have an impact on reducing the persecution of Christians worldwide.
Press Release
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